Conditioning of the surface of a moving body to apply a liquid thereto has typically been carried out in the past by contacting the moving surface with any of a variety of padlike structures. U.S. Pat. No. 3,868,744, for example, discloses a conditioning structure in the form of a wicking assembly for supplying silicone oil to the surface of a heated fuser roll in xerographic reproducing machine. The wicking assembly includes a stationary two-component pad biased against and conforming to a portion of the surface of the fuser roll, the pad consisting of an inner core partially surrounded by a cover which engages the roll surface. Oil is delivered to the core by means of a rotating applicator roll which is partially immersed in a bath of oil. Cleaning of the fuser roll is effected by two cleaning rollers of special construction.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,158,498 discloses a conditioning structure in the form of a doctor blade cleaning device comprising a reservoir of lubricating agent and a plurality of flexible bristles projecting downwardly from the lower surface of the reservoir. The lubricating agent is dispensed through apertures in the bottom wall of the reservoir under the action of flexible blades which extend through the bottom wall and which are disposed so as to be flexed by the doctor blade as it is moved past the blades and the bristles.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,007,983 discloses a conditioning structure in the form of a compressible, flexible pad used to redistribute liquid already existing on the surface of a roll. The pad has a non-absorbent working surface in the form of a pattern of raised and depressed portions. In use the pad is engaged with the wetted surface of a roll with the result that the liquid film is redistributed on the roll surface. The roll surface is an electrostatic imaging surface and the liquid is a liquid developer.